Stretcher-frame



(No Model.)

A. D. SHATTUOK.

STRBTGHER FRAME.

N0. 320,300. Patented June 16, 1885.

I l '1 I l I l N. PETERS mowuuwmpher. wuningtm u C.

AARON D. SHATTUCK, OF GRANBY, CONNECTICUT.

STRETCHER-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,300, dated June 16, 1885.

(N model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON D. SiL-vr'rUcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granby, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Stretcher-Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Hy invention relates to the class of frames used by artists and others for the purpose of stretching canvas and similar material, and is an improvement upon the construction illustrated and described in my former Patent No. 272,162, granted February 13, 1883.

My present invention is especially adapted for stretcher-frames provided with panelbacks or cross-bars, or both; and it consists in a new construction of frame, which is mitered at the corners, and is provided with a notch or recess at each corner to receive a wedge, which is joined to or cast integral with a metallic corner'plate, the wedge being concealed within the corner when the plate is in operative position.

My invention further consists in cutting away and beveling the back of the wedge, and locating it centrally between the slots in said plate. the object of which is to prevent the wedge from doing injury to the canvas when driven in, and at the same time to afford facilities for inserting a panel or panels in the usual waythat is, by tongue and groovewithout the necessity of cutting a notch in the panel.

My invention further consists in the applications of a metallic key to the cross-bar joint, the object being to provide a permanent metallic cross-bar key in place of the wooden wedges which have been used heretofore.

In order to attain the e objects, and at the same time avoid increasing the cost of construction, I have devised the simple and novel construction which I will now describe, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a panel back stretcher frame complete, both corner and cross-bar keys being shown all in their retracted position; Fig. 2, a view of a corner of l l l l,

a frame with the cornerkey removed; Fig. 3, a similar view slightly modified, the notch or recess not extending quite so far into the joint, and the corner of the panel being clipped; Fig. 4, a similar view with a corner-key in place and driven forward so as to open the joint, thereby stretching the canvas or other material upon the frame. Figs. 5 and (3 are respectively bottom and side views of a corner key detached; Fig. 7, a plan view of a slightly-modified form of corner-key; Fig. 8, a bottom view of a cross-bar key, and Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively top and side views of a modified form of cross-bar key.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

Heretol'ore when this class of corner-keys have been used with panel-back frames, it has been necessary to cut a notch in the corner of the panel to receive the wedge, which is ver} objectionable, as it leaves an unsightly opening when the key is driven forward, and per niits dust and moisture to reach the back of the canvas. These objections are entirely obviated by my improved construction.

Heretofore when crossbar-s have been used they have been heldin position when the frame was opened by wooden wedges driven in between the crossbar and the side pieces. These wedges, however, were very inconvenient in use, as they were quite likely to split in driving, and also to shrink and fall out in a short time. These objections are all obviated by the novel construction of cross-bar key which I have herein shown.

Referring, now, to the drawings, Aiudicatcs the side and end pieces of the frame, all of which are mitered at their ends, as at B.

C is the panel, which [its in a groove in the inner side of the frame in the usual manner, as indicated in the drawings.

1) is a notch or recess at each inner corner of the frame, which is cut through the frame and receives the wedge of the corner-key. In the form shown in Fig. 2 the converging portiOll n y of the recessis cutthrough the frame, the portion having parallel sides being out only to the depth of thcpanel-groove. I prefer y, however, cut the recess through the frame at the inner corner, as indicated in Fig. 3, and clip the corner of the panel, as shown, so as to make a pocket to receive the wedge.

which engages recess D. This wedge may be F represents slots through the plate, which converge toward the outer or forward end of it.

On the under side of the plate, midway between the converging slots, is a wedge, G I

located at any preferred portion of the central line; but I preferably locate it forward of the center of the plate, as indicated in Fig. 6. It will be noticed that the rear end of the wedge is beveled off. This is in order to prevent any injury to the canvas or other material stretched upon the frame when it is pressed upon from the front.

Back of the wedge and extending to the rear end of the plate is a rib, H, which greatly strengthens the key, and forms, in connection with the heel I of the plate, a solid projection upon which to strike when driving the wedge forward to open the joint.

The plate is held to its operative position, as in my former patent, by screws or pins .K, which pass through slots F and engage the wood of the frame-work. The retracted position of the key is shown in Fig. 1. As the wedge is driven forward the inclines which constitute the inner sides of the slots act on the screws or pins reciprocally with the sides of the wedge to force the joint open, asindicated in Fig. 4. In practice there is very little strain upon the screws as the wedge opens the oint.

As a modificatioml have shown in Fig. 7 a key-plate with two additional slots,which may be found desirable when great stability is re quired. especially in very large frames.

It will of course be understood that the shape of the plate, the number of slots, and the shape and depth of the wedge are not of the essence of my invention, as they may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit thereof. I preferably make the sides of the wedge parallel with the converging slots.

L represents the cross-bar. The cross-bar key consists of a plate, M, provided with a straightslot, N, and having upon its underside a wedge, O, which is adapted to be driven in between the end of the cross-bar and the side piece of the frame, similarly to the corner-key. A recess may or may not be made for the wedge by beveling off the shoulder of the crossbar; I preferably, however, make the recess as indicated by'the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Perfectly good results, however, are so cured by adjusting the key with the point of the wedge at the junction of the cross-bar and side strip. A single screw or pin passing through slot N holds this key in operative position. In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the shape of the cross-bar key is changed, so as to permit its attachment to the inner edge of the frame instead ofto its outer side, as in Fig. 1.

The improvements herein described, although used ordinarily in connection with panel-back frames, are equally applicable to other frames in which the corners are cut to a miter. Likewise the cross-bar may or may not be used, it being preferable for large frames, but in small framesis wholly unnecessary.

As stated above, I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown, as it is obvious that the details may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the side and end pieces of a stretcher-frame having their ends cut to a miter and provided atthe corners with recesses, of a corner-key having converging slots, screws or pins which pass through said slots and engage the parts of the frame, and a wedge upon the under side of the key which is adapted to engage the recess and be driven forward to open the frame.

2. The combination, with astretcher frame the parts of which are miter-ed at their ends and the corners of which are provided with recesses, as shown, and a corner-key having converging slots through which screws pass,

and a wedge adapted to engage the recess, of 9';

a crossbar extending between the sides, and a slotted key held in position by a screw and having a wedge adapted to act between the cross-bar and the frame.

3. The combination, with a stretcher-frame and meansfor. example, corner-keysfor opening it, of a cross-bar, and keys consisting of slotted plates having wedges which pass between the ends of the cross-bar and the frame, and a screw which passes through the slot to hold the key in place.

4. The combination, with a stretcher-frame having mitered corners and recesses D, panel 0, and cross-bar L, of the slotted metallic keys having wedges, whereby the frame is opened.

5. As a new manufacture, a stretcher-key consisting of a plate having converging slots, a wedge placed centrally, or nearly so, and beveled at its rear end, and a rib extending from the wedge to the heel of the plate.

In testimony whereof Iaftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AARON D. SIIATTUCK.

ICO 

